🔗 Share this article

On Tuesday morning inhabitants of the planet's dirtiest urban center were faced with breathing severely hazardous air that was classified as the "critical" category.

Alarming Pollution Levels

Various sections of Delhi showed an air quality index above 500, which translates to 10x the healthy level established by the World Health Organization.

Certain monitoring stations, concentrations of toxic particulate matter soared to of 1800, equating to 15-20x exceeding safe limits.

Firecracker Restrictions and Current Policy Shifts

Beginning in 2020, officials had implemented a total prohibition on the purchase and ignition of firecrackers during the Festival of Lights due to their major role to the deadly smog that covers the metropolis as winter approaches.

Yet recently, the newly elected local administration approached the highest court to request a modification of the prohibition.

They proposed allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – which have been doubted by environmentalists as being only about 30% lower impact – as a balance between "heritage and ecological concerns".

Legal Verdict and Enforcement

Much to the frustration of public health and environmental advocates, judicial authorities approved the proposal, mandating that green firecrackers could be used during specific hours throughout the celebrations.

During the celebrations, there was widespread violation of the time restrictions across the metropolis, with minimal regulation regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the eco-friendly variety.

Several monitoring devices throughout Delhi recorded air quality reaching highest levels around the night hours to some of the worst measurements recorded during the festival in at least the past three years.

Cross-Border Implications

The proliferation of pyrotechnics during the festival also initiated a dispute with adjacent Pakistan, with representatives in Pakistan's Punjab province partially attributing worsening air quality in Lahore on contaminants originating in neighboring India following the festivities.

Long-Standing Pollution Issue

The dangerously high readings of pollution in Delhi have persisted as a serious issue for more than 15 years, with the situation gradually deteriorating.

Near Diwali, the levels of hazardous airborne contaminants in the environment has been observed to shoot up to 70% higher the most severe readings ever recorded in Beijing, which was formerly considered as the planet's dirtiest city.

Various Pollution Factors

The problem in Delhi is resulting from a mix of multiple factors including automobile exhaust, airborne particles, building projects, waste incineration and smoke from farm burning in neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana.

Throughout these areas, farmers regularly burn crop residue to expedite field preparation, creating dangerous smog that remains stagnant over the metropolitan area as cooler air sets in.

Medical and Financial Impact

Public health and economic impact on the nearly 33 million inhabitants residing in the metropolitan zone is enormous, according to various research.

These hazardous conditions causes elevated rates of neurological, heart and circulatory and breathing diseases, and can potentially cause oncological diseases.

The pollution is estimated to be accounting for 10,000 early mortalities per year in Delhi.